Eric Kayser to open restaurant and pâtisserie in London
French master baker Eric Kayser will open his first UK outlet tomorrow, fittingly enough on Baker Street, London.
The renowned boulanger has been looking for a UK site for over two years and settled on Baker Street because the Marylebone area has had something of a renaissance in recent years. The location's name proved to be a matter of synchronicity rather than design, according to a spokeswoman.
The Baker Street Maison Kayser, which will offer a takeaway, pâtisserie and a 60-cover restaurant, will open from 7am-11pm. All bread, brioches and viennoiseries will be made on the premises using natural liquid leaven.
Kayser, a fourth-generation artisanal baker, is famous for using liquid leavening rather than commercial yeast in his breads. At the age of 30 he invented the Fermento Levain with fellow baker Patrick Castagna, a machine that facilitates the continuous use of liquid leaven.
"Natural fermentation is the essence of our bread and we are proud to have created a wide range of breads that serve every kind of taste," he said. "We believe fresh baked bread is a joy that should be shared and experienced every day."
The first Maison Kayser opened in Paris just over 20 years ago and there are now more than 100 bakeries in 21 countries, including 19 in Tokyo, five in New York City and three in Singapore. Kayser refused to be drawn on plans for further expansion in the UK.
Baker Street has no historical connection to the gentle art of leavening, but was so named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century.
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